This invention is directed to a hydrolyzed protein composition and a process used in preparing that composition. The composition is useful as an additive to certain food products such as tuna flesh and the like. The composition is prepared from casein, utilizing an alkali hydroxide hydrolysis in the presence of a limited amount of water.
Can seafood products such as tuna, shrimp and crab, when sold in this country, must be processed under certain strict guidelines set forth by the FDA. These guidelines include the grating of the seafood product according to particle size of the flesh, the color of the flesh and the addition of additives to the product as well as other criteria. Further, for different size cans of the product, the amount of flesh in the can making up the contents of the can is also governed.
Allowable as additives to the canned seafood product are certain levels of sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, spices and/or oils. Certain of these ingredients tend to interact with the flesh of the seafood product to alter the flavor and/or physical properties of the product. Hydrolyzed protein may be added to the can in order to bind smaller particles of the flesh into a more coherent mass. Economics preclude the addition of more costly protein than the actual protein of the seafood product. For this reason heretofore the hydrolyzed protein generally used in the processing of seafood products are of vegetable origin. Typically these would be vegetable broths of beans, cabbage, carrots, etc.
In adding hydrolyzed protein to seafood products the modification of certain properties such as binding small articles into a more coherent mass is desirable. However, the modification of other properties such as totally changing the flavor of the product is undesirable. No one wants canned shrimp to taste like carrots.
It is desirable, however, to eliminate certain objectionable rancid-like flavors which can be associated with several varieties of canned or precooked seafood products. If this can be achieved a cleaner taste will result with the natural flavor of the product present, however, the objectionable overpowering, rancid-like flavor eliminated.